Lives Beyond
by TheDimNova
Summary: Heroes have little room for mistake. Link knows this very well, but that doesn't protect him from fate. Beyond this life must be another, just as the path of any hero is soaked in blood...
1. Chapter One

There was an indescribable pain that ran through me. It was not just the wounds that littered my body, but the agonizing knowledge that, despite everything, I had failed.

The beast loomed over me, his hot breath searing my wounds, his blood mixing with mine on the stone bricks. He was wary, cautious of any further move I would make. I could feel his questioning eyes pierce me, but it slowly dawned on him just as it had on me. The battle had ended, and the hero had lost.

Ganon rose, and plunged his sword into the ground, confident that he hod no more use for it. He kicked me in the side, sending waves of physical torment throughout my being. The pain was unbearable. He kicked me a second time. Blood rushed through my wounds and out of my mouth. I began to cough, and every convulsion was more painful than the last.

He dug his claws into me, deepening my injuries, and slowly lifted me from the ground. I was broken, and pathetic, and he smiled. A smile that seemed too large for his face, a smile that contorted his grotesque, blood-stained head. Malice seeped through his grin, and I felt it, like a dagger. He grew more and more assured of my defeat with each passing moment.

He dropped me with no hesitation. My body hit the ground with a dull, sickening thud. The beast dug his foot into me, twisting it, tearing my skin and soaking his matted fur further with my blood. He removed his foot and slowly walked away from me. His interest in my suffering had waned, like a broken toy that he had grown bored with.

I had almost forgotten the princess.

I wanted to see her. Fighting my screaming muscles, and my burning wounds, I turned to face her, and regretted it almost as soon as I had.

Her mouth was covered by her hands, and tears were streaming out of her eyes. Zelda, too, has grasped the situation. Nothing she could do would help her, or me. I was beyond the point of no return, and I could sense my consciousness fading.

I lay my head to rest on the stone. The rain that had raged on since the beginning of our fight had lessened, and I could see the light piercing through the clouds. It felt like a sign, almost as if the gods themselves had sensed my fall…

I couldn't sense much, but I could hear the princess scream. A mix of emotions resided in her voice, but I could sense anger. Anger directed towards not only Ganon, but to me as well. I wished I could have apologized, but Zelda was beyond my reach.

As the princess fought to resist Ganon for as long as she could, a thought ran through my head like lightning.

 _The Ocarina._

Did I have another chance? Would the song even work? I didn't have time to worry about it. I had so little time, and so little strength, but if I could try things one more time…

I unlatched the instrument from my waist and tenderly held it to my lips. My arms howled in protest, almost as if my body had accepted death. I hadn't, and I wouldn't lose twice to myself of all things.

The notes were soft and shaky, perhaps out of order, perhaps off-key. The ocarina fell from my hands, and skidded across the pavement. I looked to the newly lit sky, one free of rain, and accepted my fate.

The next few moments were strange.

I could feel the light above engulfing me. It was biting at my wounds, searing them, containing the blood to keep me just barely conscious. I was rising, rapidly, passing above the battlefield and through the clouds, into the sky. I saw visions of many things, some felt like a memory, others like premonitions. An endless ocean, a vast kingdom of darkness, a city in the sky…

Soon, I was walking in a bright light. Something foreign, yet strangely familiar. It was peaceful, but the danger of an impending evil resonated even there. My wounds were not completely healed, and each step felt as if I was swimming in hot coals. Nevertheless, I pressed on, sure of something in front of me, but uneasy with my own resolve.

The walk was most likely short, but it felt like a lifetime. The energy I had found in that realm was slowly drained from me, and at last I collapsed.

It was not the same place. As my senses receded from me for seemingly the last time, I could feel the floor beneath me, and I could hear panicked voices. Footsteps, whispers, shouts, demands, nothing was registering me, except for one voice. One voice that rang out above all others, and as my body finally gave in to my injuries, I heard that voice speak one sentence.

"It's going to be okay."


	2. Chapter Two

A small Author's Note here. These chapters will get longer in the future. Starting a story is difficult. and I'm doing so in short bursts. Thank you for understanding.

Voices rang through my head, but none of the words made sense to me.

I felt a cold sensation run across my face, and as my senses sharpened, the words began to break through my daze.

"...how long will you take care of him?"

"...until he can fend for himself."

It sounded like an argument. I tried to focus on it, as it was the only earthly thing that could fill my mind. Two women, at on odds, it seemed. I decided not to let them know I could hear. I don't think I was able to talk anyway.

"You should've just left him."

"Did you see the state that he was in? He wouldn't have lived. I didn't want that on my mind, and the fact that you would be okay with that is appalling."

I heard the other woman scoff, clearly unimpressed with her friend's act of kindness. I wanted to say thank you, but I was having trouble even opening my eyes. I began to wonder how long I had been there.

"It's been three days, you know."

I was guessing about three days.

"I know… but I can't just leave him."

"You're such a sap."

My strength was slowly returning to me, and my thoughts became clear and coherent. The pain had dulled. But my body still ached. I was surprised I was alive, but based on the fact that I wasn't drinking my own blood anymore, I guessed that the woman I was with was a decent healer. I'd run out of luck if this continued.

It wasn't up until a certain point when I realized what had actually happened. I might have been focused before, but the weight of reality came crashing back to me.

I had lost. The kingdom had fallen. Ganon most likely had the Triforce, and darkness is prevailing…

Heavy footsteps removed me from my mourning stupor. A new voice filled the room, a deep, demanding voice.

"You girls need to head to the square."

The healer woman was the first to respond.

"I'm watching the injured man we found, I've told everyone that I would be busy."

The man audibly sighed.

"We don't have time to wait on this boy to open his eyes. Leave him in the bed, throw him to the dogs, I don't care. We have responsibilities, Tara."

The sound of receding footsteps was the bringer of a long silence. The healer woman, her name supposedly being "Tara", sighed as well.

I had been saving my strength, and over the course of the last few minutes, I slowly gained my sensibilities. I opened my eyes, slightly. My vision was foggy and everything seemed distant, but I gathered my surroundings.

The bed I was placed in was in the far corner of a small hut. The structure of the building was thin, and had cloth tarps supported by wooden frames. Sunlight poured through holes in the design of the roof, and what appeared to be rain-water weighed down on indentions in the cloth. Tara, the healer woman, had stood up, and was speaking to her friend in a softer, less audible tone. She was turned from me, and I was unable to see her face.

No matter. I would try to thank her later.

She turned around sharply and looked at me as I quickly forced my eyes closed again. She let out another, more reluctant sigh, and walked over to the bed as her friend exited the hut. I heard her whisper in my ear.

"I'll be back. Rest well."

A voice called from outside the building.

"Tara! Let's go!"

The woman's steps fled from me, and when I was finally sure that I was alone, my eyes shot open. I pushed myself from the bed, and, despite the pain, managed to get my feet on the ground. The room was filled with morning dew, and the sun seemed to just be rising. I wondered how dedicated the healer woman had been to taking care of me.

Getting back on my feet was difficult, but manageable. Using nearby tables to steady myself, I was finally able to get a good look at myself.

My deepest wounds had turned to scars, and my cuts had turned to pink and red lines. The blood that had formerly soaked my entire body had been washed away. My tunic and pants had seemingly been removed, cleaned, and reapplied. That thought made me slightly embarrassed, but worrying about that now would be foolish.

The Master Sword had been cast away to a dark corner of the building, along with it's scabbard. I retrieved, scolded the woman in my head for treating it such a way, and placed it back around my torso. Having it there made me feel more like myself. The Ocarina of Time was close by, and I made sure to retrieve that as as well.

I grabbed my boots and belt, attaching the Ocarina to it, and decided to leave some of the less important items behind. I knew I would have to be quick. I wasn't sure where in Hyrule I was, but being alive gave me a new chance. With new-found energy, and a burning desire for revenge, I bursted through the door of the tent-like home and into the morning sun.

The view outside of that house let me know something very important.

This was not Hyrule.


End file.
